Milk-can cover



J. F. HAMILTON.

MILK CAN COVER.

APPLICATION FILED 00125.1919.

1,374,732. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

, lowing is a specification.

"ing members carried by the cover as to be PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FLOYD HAMILTON, 0F IDAHO.

' MILK-CAN covnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1919. Serial No. 333,210.

To all 'wliom concern:

Be it known that I JOHN FLOYD HAMIL- L Toma citizen of the I lnited States, residing atMinidoka, in the county of Minidoka and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Milk-Can Cover, of which the f el- This invention relates to covers for milk cans or similar receptacles, and. more particularly to locking means for holding the same in position. a v

The'object is to provide a cover of th1s character which 'maybe placed within the neck of the milk can or other receptacle; at any" point, and by a partial rotation of the cover, to bring certain coacting parts m. proper relation to each other, so that the said. cover 'may be automatically locked withinithe neck of the can. Another object is to so position the lock- 1 readily engaged between and by the fingers of the operator while in the, act of grasping I the handle of the cover, and to be readily withdrawn from their engagement with the neck" of the can the cover is removed therefrom. W

A full and complete understanding of the invention may beobtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the vention, thelattereisnotconfin d to strict conformity therewith, butmay e .changed or modified, so long-as such changes or modifications mark no "material departure from the salient-features of the invention, as specifically pointed out'in-the appended claims. V

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 11s a vertical section through the neckof a milk canor other receptacle havmg a cover embodying the improvements applied thereto. v V

Fig. 2'is a .plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the cover, taken at right angles to Fig. 1. y 7 Fig. 4 is a detail'view of one of the lock- 18. I J ite ih rring to the drawing, the reference to numeral 1 designates theiupper rounded shoulder portion of a can or other neck 2 surroundin in a suitable strengthening bead surrounding the same and ofa similar receptacle having the upstanding the mouth of the can. The neck 2 is reinforcedaround its upper edge by the usual bead, and is provided substantiallyv midway of its height with a pair of diametrically opposed openings 3, for a purpose to be described.

The cover comprises a cylindrical collar 4; composed of suitable sheet metal, such as block tin, and of a diameter to snugly fit within the neck 2 of the can or receptacle, the saidcollar being of a height substantially equal to the height of the neck, and having ntegrally formed therewith, at its lower edge, a bottom 5 which is adapted to act as the closure proper for the can or receptacle.

The upper end of the collar dis integrally 1 joined to the lower reduced end of an upwardly and outwardly flared, funnel-shaped flange 6 having its upper free ed e formed entirely diameter considerably greater than the diameter of the neck. The upper portion of the cover is thus formed to freely admit of the entrance Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

of the hand of an operator thereinto, for v the purpose of grasping a handle 8 formed of suitable sheet metal bent into U-shape in cross section and having its ends formed into ears9, arranged at an angle thereto to correspond with the inclined wall of the flange 6, and rigidly secured to the same as by rivets 1 0 at diametrically opposite points of the'cover. The handle 8 is-thus located transversely of the said cover, through the center thereof, and at anelevation slightly above the point of juncture be-T tween the cylindrical collar 4 and the fun- Del-shaped flange 6, and the same may be readily grasped by the hand of the operator.

It will also be seen thatthe funnel-shaped flange 6 also acts as a stop to arrest the downward movement of the cover within the neck of the can or receptacle, by coming into contact with the upper beaded end of the neck 2 of thesame, and that, when such is is the case, a tight closure is' provided for the can- .Within the neck 2 of the covei'-is carried a pair of longitudinally disposed tubular housings 11 arranged diametrically o posite to each other and suitably secure as by soldering, to the inner face of the said neck and supported upon legs 12 having foot portions 13 suitably secured to the upper face of the bottom 5. The inner opposed ends of the housings are closed by walls 14,

each spaced a suitable distance from the center of the bottom 5, and provided with 5 rectangular openings 15 for the passage of a locking bolt 16 formed to fit the same.

The locking bolts 16 are each provided near their outer active ends with a circular flange 17, fitting within the tubular housings at the outer ends thereof, and adapted to bear against the outer ends of coiled springs 18 located within the said housings andbearing at. their inner ends against the end walls 14:. Thus the springs 18 tend to nor- 15, mally hold the locking bolts 16 in outwardly projected positions, the active ends of the latter, beyond the said flanges 17, being preferably round in cross section, Where traversing suitable apertures 19 formed in the outer end walls 20 of the tubular housings and in the walls of the cylindrical collar 4 and the terminals of the bolts being rounded to facilitate their entrance into the openings 3 formed in the neck 2 in order to lock the cover in position. The bolts extend through the openings 3 and project beyond the neck of the can and have holes 21 formed therein to receive a seal as shown in Fig. 1. It is only necessary to seal one of the bolts, though both bolts are provided with holes for this purpose. By the provision of the seal, the purity of the milk is as-. sured and adulteration guarded against.

It will readily be seen that, upon inserting the cover fully within the neck of the can, the rounded outer ends of the locking bolts will be held in engagement with the inner face of the neck 2, and upon rotating the cover in either direction the bolts may be brought into registering relation with the openings 3, when'th'e said bolts will be automatically projected into locking engagement therewith, through the medium of the springs.

The inner ends of the bolts are'provided with upstanding arms 22 or handles having at their upper ends widened, finger-engaging portions 23 located immediately beneath the handle 8, at right-angles thereto, and spaced apart a distance to be easily engaged between the, middle fingers of the hand of an operator at the moment of grasping the handle of the cover.

It will thus be seen that with one operation the handle of the cover may be grasped,

nature.

bolts, where passing through the corresponding openings in the inner walls of the-tubular housings, prevents their turning n sa1d housings, thus maintaining the finger engaging portions in upstanding position to be engaged by the hand of the operator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an extremely simple, durable and efficient locking means for can covers has been provided, which requires the use of only one hand to apply and lock the same to the can, or quickly release and remove it therefrom by one operation. 7

What is claimed is In a cover fastener for milkcans and the like, the combination with a cover having a cylindrical collar adapted to fit within the neck of a can, said neck having diametrically opposite openings therein, a flange joined to the upper end of the collar, and a handle secured transversely within the flange, of longitudinally alined, spaced apart housings arranged directly beneath the handle and substantially parallel therewith, locking bolts mounted slidably and non-rotatably within the housings, said bolts having their outer ends extending through the walls of the cylindrical collar and adapted to enter the openings provided in the neck of the can, coil springs surrounding the bolts within the housings and nor mally forcing the same outwardly into locking position, upwardly extending arms carried by the inner ends of each of the bolts in spaced relation to each other, and finger engaging ortions at the upper ends of the arms and mmediately beneath the handle to be grasped between the middle fingers of the operator to retract the bolts at the same time the handle is-grasped to remove the cover, the arms being maintained vertical inall positions of the bolts by the non-rotative mounting of the bolts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my sig- JOHN FLOYD HAMILTON. Witness:

F. J. Tonvs. 

